More and more frequent and even lethal U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and “kidnappings” throughout immigration hearings are inflicting rising weariness amongst New Yorkers.
On January 12, 2026, an undisclosed Venezuelan Metropolis Council employees member was picked up by ICE in Bethpage, Nassau County, at a routine immigration appointment.
“He had authorized authorization to stay within the nation till October of this yr,” confirmed Metropolis Council Speaker Julie Menin in a press release. “We’re doing every thing we will to safe his rapid launch, and we demand swift and clear motion by the federal authorities on this obvious overreach. Throughout the nation, we now have seen aggressive escalations by ICE that increase critical issues on the usage of extreme power and an absence of accountability. As New Yorkers, we are going to rise up for the rights and dignity of each neighbor.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani added in a social media put up: “I’m outraged to listen to a New York Metropolis Council worker was detained in Nassau County by federal immigration officers at a routine immigration appointment. That is an assault on our democracy, on our metropolis, and our values. I’m calling for his rapid launch and can proceed to observe the scenario.”
A citywide ballot performed by the Honan Technique Group, earlier than the capturing demise of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis by ICE final week, finds that about 67% of New Yorkers oppose ICE raids being performed in NYC whereas 32% nonetheless help them. When requested extra immediately, about 58% of these surveyed mentioned the NYPD ought to refuse involvement with ICE to guard NYC’s sanctuary legal guidelines, and about 66% say raids create concern, chaos, and endanger immigrant communities.
Nevertheless, because of the escalated feeling of insecurity, hundreds of demonstrators took to New York Metropolis’s streets in a present of solidarity with Minneapolis and to march towards the federal company and its seemingly sanctioned violence.
Mamdani bluntly known as the capturing of Good a “homicide” and questioned ICE brokers coaching in a current CNN interview. “It’s a glimpse into what has been a yr filled with cruelty, and I feel what many New Yorkers wakened feeling right now is a heightened sense of tension and concern as to whether or not they had been secure in leaving their properties. That’s very true for immigrant New Yorkers,” mentioned Mamdani.
One of many demonstrations began with a short rally at Manhattan’s Grand Military Plaza, the place protesters had been joined by Councilmember Alexa Avilés, former Comptroller Brad Lander, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. They marched down Fifth Avenue carrying big heads crafted to appear to be high-profile New York officers, corresponding to U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, in addition to Home Democrat Chief Hakeem Jeffries.
“We’d like ICE off our streets. They’re a hazard to each resident of our metropolis,” mentioned Avilés in a press release. “Whereas our tax {dollars} are being funneled into violent kidnappings, working-class folks in all places are struggling with out entry to healthcare and inexpensive housing. Donald Trump has made it clear he doesn’t worth working-class lives within the U.S. or in some other nation.”
Good, a white 37-year-old U.S citizen killed on January 7, is way from the one demise amongst an more and more lethal immigration crackdown by the Trump administration. Keith Porter Jr., a Black 43-year-old U.S citizen and father of two, was shot by an off-duty ICE agent in Northridge, California, throughout a New Yr’s Eve celebration only a week earlier.
“This isn’t the primary killing arising out of the Trump administration’s violent, aggressive, and dear immigration ways,” mentioned Authorized Protection Fund (LDF) President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson in a press release.
Much less acknowledged is the record-high variety of deaths of detainees in ICE custody. Based on NPR numbers, at the very least 20 deaths had occurred by October 2025. This represented a peak in 2025 for the primary time since 32 deaths had been recorded in 2004 and 20 deaths in 2005. And at the very least 4 folks have died “whereas in custody of U.S. immigration authorities over the primary 10 days of 2026.”
“Similar to with George Floyd, they may kill folks in chilly blood as a result of they assume we’re lesser,” mentioned Daniel Kim, federal employee and organizer with the Federal Unionists Community NYC Hub. “Extraordinary however courageous folks nationwide have risen as much as defend their neighbors at nice private value. It’s lengthy overdue that our elected officers present the identical braveness and do proper by their folks and their nation.”
As of Tuesday, Jan. 13, Menin and Congressmember Dan Goldman have been coordinating with advocates on the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) and legal professionals on the New York Authorized Help Group. They filed an emergency habeas petition final night time and have confirmed that the staffer remains to be being held in ICE custody in New York State at the very least.
“As a part of his utility to work for the Council, the staffer cleared the usual background verify performed for all candidates,” they mentioned in a joint assertion. “The Council has been unable to contact the staffer however is working to get in contact with the staffer’s immigration counsel. We’ll proceed to supply additional updates when acceptable.”
